Free Advice
by Fay Meadows
Summary: It's Harvest night. Angel catches fledgling Jesse outside the Bronze. Old vampire and new vampire talk about women - Darla, Cordelia, Buffy - and the meaning of unlife.


**Title:** Free Advice  
**Author:** Fay Meadows  
**Rating:** T, PG-13  
**Characters:** Jesse, Angel  
**Summary:** It's Harvest night. Angel catches fledgling Jesse outside the Bronze. Old vampire and new vampire talk about women - Darla, Cordelia, Buffy - and the meaning of unlife.  
**A/N:** Hypothetical missing scene fic, canon-consistent. Gen, with het references. One-shot. Written for the fantas-magoria community at LiveJournal, July 20, 2008. My first Buffyverse fic, aside from drabbles; constructive criticism welcome.  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own these characters, not making any money, just playing.

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He'd be in trouble for sneaking off early - if they caught him - but Jesse couldn't wait. All the excitement of the Harvest fused with his new and urgent blood-craving, sending him into a total spin-out; he was floating, flying, soaring along the streets, feeling strong enough to do anything he wanted - and oh yeah, there was something he _really_ wanted to do.

The old Jesse, loser Jesse, was gone forever - so forget last night. The whole world had changed since then, and he was gonna show her how, and he couldn't wait!

So he was really pissed when someone grabbed his arm and yanked him into the alley near the Bronze.

"Hey! Get off, let me - ow!"

All of a sudden, Jesse didn't feel so strong any more. Shit, this was like wrestling a Mack truck: the stranger - big guy, dark hair, vampire (well, duh!) - simply ignored his struggles, easily wrapping one hand around Jesse's throat and pinning his back to the wall.

"Don't mean you any harm, boy. You answer my questions, I'll let you go - okay?"

Then, as Jesse nodded frantically, something else seemed to catch the stranger's attention. He was staring at Jesse's neck - frowning, raising a hand to touch the fresh bites there - leaning in to sniff at them - oh, ugh, this was _not_ okay! Big mean weirdo licking his neck, not okay! Jesse squirmed and kicked, trying to wrench himself free.

"Hmm. I see they're still using the trefoil." The stranger pulled back, easing his grip enough for Jesse to let out a "Wha-?" of confusion, then tightening it again. "Three bites on you, in one of the styles for sharing a meal politely... for those who care about such things. So your neck tells a tale, and your scent - strong trace of the human, still - less than a day, right?" His dark gaze swept over Jesse with a cold curiosity. "Raised in a hurry, too. They didn't even bury you."

So he hadn't been buried. Big deal! No need to make it sound so uncool. Jerk.

"And they all drank from you. Darla..." The guy traced a finger over the bite, making Jesse twitch. "Darla first, then the Master - then Luke, damn his eyes, who drained the dregs and turned you." He released Jesse's throat, only to seize him by the shoulders. "Now, answer me this: who's been chosen as the Vessel tonight? Luke - or Darla?"

"Luke!" The word came out as a gasp.

The stranger closed his eyes for a moment, and some of his tension seemed to vanish.

Though Jesse still felt totally clueless, he was starting to think this guy must be another old vampire - way old, like _them_ - and oh, better keep him talking, before he makes with the sniffing and licking again. Ugh.

"So, uh, you don't like Luke much, huh?"

The guy shrugged. "Had a bit of trouble with him once, in Spain. Long time ago. Doesn't matter." He tilted his head, staring down at Jesse. "What are you doing here on your own? Where are the others?"

"Oh, they're on their way!" Thinking of the big plan made Jesse feel better at once. "Hey, you coming with? Plenty for everyone tonight! All you can eat!"

"Yeah? And there's a bridge across the Hellmouth I'd like to sell you." The guy only sighed at Jesse's blank look - then shook him once, hard. "Don't care what they're telling you minions, but that's not how the Harvest works. You won't get so much as a bite. The only one who drinks tonight is the Vessel, to feed the Master. Got that? Now, why are you here alone? Advance scout?"

"Huh? No, I just - there's this girl, you know? Gotta find her!" She must be there by now. "Let me go, man!"

The stranger didn't move. Jesse was getting seriously wigged here - and mad, too.

"Let - me - go! Who are you, anyway? You smell funny," he added, with a suspicious look at the big vampire. "Are you sick, or what?"

"No. Not any more."

Jesse didn't quite believe that. There was something weirdly _off_ about this guy, and it only made him more desperate to get away. He tried a knee to the groin - failed - then vamped out and snarled, twisting against the wall.

"Stop that, now, or I'll stop it for you," said the guy, giving him another shake - and when Jesse took no notice, he raised a hand and did something so fast, it was like an electric shock: knuckles flicked across Jesse's fangs in a sharp staccato pattern, and the fangs retracted at once, by reflex, and before he knew it he was back in his human face. He simply couldn't help it - and for a moment there, the guy's grin was really kinda scary.

"Taught some manners to tougher fledges than you, back in the day."

But then he actually let go of Jesse and stepped back, though he was still blocking the way out of the alley. They stared at each other: Jesse in miserable embarrassment, the stranger reverting to his man-of-mystery reserve.

"Hey, uh... nice jacket." He said it for the sake of saying something - and oh, the big guy didn't look so tough with that totally surprised expression.

If Jesse could get him to relax, maybe he could slip past and get into the Bronze, finally.

Right. Relax. Just a couple of guys talking together... about what? Right. Girls! Yeah, get a bit of guy talk going, all easy and relaxing, and he could try a suave manly leer - though he'd never managed that when practising in the mirror at home, only looked like he was about to hurl - but he was a vampire now, so he should be able to leer, right? Sure.

"So you know Darla, huh?" Big relaxed smile, check. Now the leer. "Oh wow, what a hottie! Seen her move? The way she kinda bounces? And she feels good, too - up close - _real_ good." No need to mention that she'd smacked his head into a wall when he grabbed her ass. "Yeah, I bet she's all kinds of - Oh man, how do you do _that_? The spooky deep growl thing? Sounds wicked!"

Jesse had to try it for himself. _Grrr_, oh yeah, that was close. Lower in the throat than a regular growl? He tried again, louder. "Grrr. Grrr!"

He stopped abruptly, because the stranger was _laughing_.

"Don't even think about trying to hit me," he said, serious again. "Doing you a favor, boy. Free advice: forget about Darla. If she wanted you, she would have turned you herself - and then you wouldn't be here looking for this girl."

"Yes I would!"

The guy gave him an odd look. "Special, is she? Last thing on your mind when you died, by any chance?"

"Oh yeah, way special... Beyond special. She's Cordelia." Jesse traced her outline in the air, his hands lingering on the curves. "And she never looks at me. Won't even dance with me - but that was the old me. Gonna be different tonight! Gonna dance with her. And then..." He had to stop himself from moaning at the thought. "She's mine. Cordelia Chase, all mine! God, I'm so hungry!"

"You haven't fed at all yet, have you?" The stranger's voice seemed far away.

"Uh-uh. Gotta find Cordelia! Want her to be my first."

"And they say romance is dead..."

"Or she can be a vampire, too - hey, how do you turn somebody?"

"Let me think - how many reasons for not telling you? More than enough. Idiot."

"Hey!"

The guy was all tense again, arms folded, voice grim. "Look at yourself - only hours old, nearly human still, not a kill to your name - wanna trade places, idiot?" He scowled at Jesse, then looked away, down at the ground. "If your soul returned right now, I bet you'd barely feel a twinge..."

"What? Hey!" Jesse was dragged out of his Cordelia-thoughts and left bewildered. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No, just giving you good advice that you won't take, because you're not capable of it. And you're not listening to me anyway. Maybe I'm the idiot."

_You got that right_.

Jesse bit back the comment. No, mustn't get him mad. Mr. Crazy was still blocking his escape from the alley. Gotta keep him talking.

"Sure, I'm listening! You told me about Darla, and the Harvest, and you wanted to know who's the Vessel - yeah, what's the sitch with that? What do you care who it is?"

"Because the Vessel will be the Slayer's target tonight," said the guy, sounding tired, "and one of them is almost sure to die - either the Vessel or the Slayer."

"Buffy Summers? Oh yeah, she's so doomed! Shoulda been down there today, man - we nearly got her! And I was the bait," he said proudly, glad of the chance to point out that he wasn't just any random minion.

"You're the _friend_," said the stranger, slowly raising his eyes from the ground to Jesse's face. "You're the one she went to rescue - and she must have come too late. They'd already turned you and made you rise."

"That's right!" said Jesse, grinning.

The next sound he made was a panicked "Oof!" as he was pinned against the wall again, forcefully. The guy had both hands around his throat, and Jesse saw his true face for the first time.

"I should end you right now, boy."

It was good to be a vampire. If he hadn't been a vampire, he probably would have wet himself.

"You - you can't do that!" he gasped, struggling to get the words out. "You don't even have a stake!"

"I could twist your head off, or tear your heart out, and you'd be dust." There he went with the deep growl again. "Didn't tell you anything, did they? Listen up. More free advice. Fire, sunlight, decapitation, wood through the heart - even holy water, if there's enough of it. Understand?"

"Yes!" he mouthed, unable to put any sound behind the word. He still had no idea what had set this off - why the big guy had turned on the violence all of a sudden.

"So - any reason why I shouldn't do it?" The grip around his neck tightened, then eased.

Jesse was shaking all over. "Hey, that's not fair! It's only my first day - I mean, first night! How'd you like it, if somebody dusted you on your first night?"

"Would have been a mercy," said the stranger. His voice was soft and oddly hollow, and his face shifted back to human as he spoke, and his eyes - no, Jesse didn't want to look into his eyes.

"Dude. You're one fucked-up vampire."

"Guess so."

And Jesse found himself released: fierce and scary switched back to grim and broody, leaning against the wall and staring into space.

The silence between them made Jesse aware of voices outside the alley, and music inside the Bronze - oh, he had to hurry, or the others would turn up before he could find Cordelia! Get the big guy to relax, then run. Still sounded like a plan.

He reached into his back pocket. "Uh - wanna smoke?"

The guy only raised an eyebrow at Jesse's unopened pack of cigarettes.

"Yeah, I know it's kinda lame, but..." The lameness of Virginia Slims, menthol, was undeniable at that point. "Thought I'd start, maybe. Just took them. Seemed like a bad guy thing, you know?" He made a face, fumbling with the lighter. "Stupid, right?"

"I'll tell you what's stupid," said the stranger, grabbing a cigarette and lighting up. "Having this conversation with a damn fledgling. Trying to make you see - oh, hell with it! To be so young, to know nothing of death, save for your own - and to have her call you friend! You don't appreciate what you've got, or understand why anyone might envy it, and nothing I can say will make any difference." He took a drag on the cigarette, then tossed it aside. "Ah, that's really awful."

"Yeah, it really is." Jesse stubbed out his cigarette too, with some relief. Was the guy talking about the Slayer again? Major weirdness zone.

"Right. One last piece of free advice. You won't take it, but she did risk her life going into the Master's lair for you... So I'll say it, and let you walk instead of blowing away on the breeze. Listening?"

"Hey, I'm all with the listening!" This was getting old.

"Sure you are." The guy half-smiled, placing one hand on Jesse's shoulder. "All right. You're in way over your head here. Don't think you'll last long, but if you want to survive - do you? Oh, paying enough attention to nod - great. Be a smart vamp, now. If you want to survive, get out of here! Leave town! Keep away from this Cordelia girl. Keep away from Darla - _far_ away. And keep away from the Slayer... Buffy. That's what any smart vamp would do."

"Right. I got it." Jesse smiled at the guy, waiting for his chance. "Thanks!"

"Wasted words, of course." The stranger shrugged, took his hand off Jesse's shoulder, and stepped back. "Go on, then. Go ahead and do exactly the opposite."

Jesse took off, running as fast as he could - which turned out to be much faster than he'd expected - and didn't look back until he reached the front door of the Bronze.

"Don't have to do as you say," he muttered. "Don't _have to_ do anything, now."

The guy was only a black-and-white blur in the shadows, but his voice was clear in Jesse's new vampire-keen hearing: "Don't have to get yourself dusted before you kill anyone, but you might consider it, anyway. As a favor to me."

He turned away and disappeared into the alley.

Jesse walked into the Bronze. The first person he saw on the dance floor was Cordelia.

(End) 


End file.
